Two new LED streetlights are shining on Main Street in Andover, with more to come. The LEDs give brighter light at less cost and last significantly longer. This should be good news for drivers and pedestrians, who have been complaining for years about the quality of lighting along Main Street in front of Proctor Academy.

And it’s no wonder they’ve been complaining. The current types of lighting – high-pressure sodium (HPS) and mercury – get dimmer over time, but the utility companies usually wait until a bulb actually fails before replacing it.

The Andover Energy Group has been working with New Hampshire Electric Co-op to improve night-time visibility on Main Street. We have identified seven Town-owned lights between the Town Hall and Proctor’s Carr Field that will be changed over to LEDs. These lights were chosen because of the amount of pedestrian traffic in the area after dark.

Because these lights are over five years old, the changeover to LEDs will be made at no cost to the Town. The monthly cost for LEDs is about $14 per month, while the old bulbs are about $15 per month. The LEDs life expectancy is from 10 to 20 years.

Two street lights have already been replaced with LEDs: one near Carr House, and the other near Maxwell Savage.

Proctor Academy is a big player in improving safety on Main Street as well. They have received permission from the state to install a new crosswalk at Carr Field. This will direct the students to a single crossing, which will help motorists as they navigate through a busy town center. A new streetlight will be added to the south side of Main Street at the new crosswalk for increased visibility.